Modeling, simulation, and experimental validation for continuous Cr(VI) removal from aqueous solutions using sawdust as an adsorbent

Continuous adsorption experiments were performed in a fixed-bed adsorption column to evaluate the performance of low-cost adsorbent (sawdust) developed for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions. The effects of influencing parameters such as flow rate, mass of adsorbent, initial Cr(VI) concentration were studied and the corresponding breakthrough curves were obtained. The fixed-bed adsorption process parameters such as breakthrough time, total percentage removal of Cr(VI), adsorption exhaustion rate and fraction of unused bed-length were obtained. A mathematical model for fixed-bed adsorption column was proposed by incorporating the effect of velocity variation along the bed-length in the existing model. Pore and solid diffusion models were used to describe the intra-particle mechanism for Cr(VI) adsorption. The proposed mathematical model was validated with the literature data and the experimental data obtained in the present study and the model was found to be good for explaining the behavior of breakthrough curves.